Anthropocene, post-humanism, biopolitics ... These terms are often used first in an academic context before being used outside the academic world, once their usefulness has become known to the wider public. Whether in official policy documents, in catalogues of expositions or in applications for subsidies, these terms tend to show up regularly.

In this book, 50 terms that are important in contemporary cultural theory are explained by experts in the field. They clarify what the term means, how...